This invention relates to an electrical connector adapted to be used as a socket for connecting an object such as a CPU package having a land grid array (LGA) or a ball grid array (BGA).
An electrical connector called a pin grid array (PGA) socket is known. As will later be described with reference to the drawing, the PGA socket comprises a first insulator having a number of socket contacts, a PGA conversion adapter having a number of pin contacts, and a second insulator interposed between the first insulator and the PGA conversion adapter. The pin contacts are faced to the socket contacts via a number of through holes formed in the second insulator. In order to connect and disconnect the object, the first and the second insulators are relatively moved with respect to each other. Following the relative movement, the pin contacts are contacted with or separated from the socket contacts.
If the PGA socket having the pin contacts is subjected to an external force during transportation or handling, the pin contacts may be deformed, for example, bent, flexed, or warped. Such deformation of the pin contacts will cause a pitch error which prevents proper engagement between the pin contacts and the socket contacts.
If each of the pin contacts is increased in diameter in order to enhance its mechanical strength, a contact redundancy is reduced. It Is noted here that the contact redundancy is an ability of assuring a reliable contact or connection between two elements such as the pin contact and the socket contact. The reduction in contact redundancy is one of factors causing contact failure between the pin contacts and the socket contacts when the PGA socket is subjected to mechanical vibration or shock.
The presence of the PGA conversion adapter interposed between the first and the second insulators contributes to an increase in profile of the PGA socket in correspondence to the height of the PGA conversion adapter.